Star Wars: For the Empire
by NuclearDeadline
Summary: Jaina Vitaan is a distinguished member of the Imperial military. The young Storm commando believes she can take anything the galaxy can throw at her. But, when Darth Vader himself tasks her squad with the assassination of a survivor of the Jedi Purge, her loyalty to the Empire - and her friends - are put to the ultimate test.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hey guys. As you read this chapter and those that will follow , no doubt you'll find a few things that are certainly non-canon. This is because this is set in an alternate universe. The timeline of the regular universe still applies, but there a few noticeable differences. Otherwise, this story is going to be as canon-friendly as I can make it, aside from the aforementioned differences. Enjoy!_

It was dead-quiet. The only sound one heard was the wind blowing through the tall trees overhead. If one strained hard enough, they may be able to hear the faint sounds of the many animals that lived on the plains of Naboo.

It looked like a twig sticking out of the tree if you saw it from the ground. It lay completely still, unmoving with the swaying of the wind this high up. The barrel was trained on a building not far from the tree itself, sitting in the middle of a small clearing – perhaps a mere two hundred meters from the tree. The tree was situated at the very edge of the clearing.

In the shadow of the dense leaves and foliage on the tree, it was nigh-on impossible to spot the wielder of the rifle. Their armour bore a resemblance to the famed armour of the Scout troopers of the Imperial Stormtrooper corps with one unmistakeable difference – the armour was matte-black.

The building was a relatively small building, no more than twenty meters across and no higher than the trees. It was very out of place in the plains of Naboo, but it was not built by the natives. It dated back to before the Clone Wars; it was once owned by an elderly human hermit who migrated to Naboo from Coruscant when he had had enough of life on the city-planet. He migrated in order to live the quieter existence of a hunter. But, this was short lived. He perished just before the outbreak of war, but it was anyone's guess why. Animals, disease, even a crazed-Gungan attack in the night – the stories were plenty. Now, it was simply an abandoned settlement that had yet to be demolished in the name of Progress. Just outside of the building, five armed guards – none wearing Imperial uniforms but rather civilian clothing – patrolled the perimeter, completely oblivious to the sniper.

The scope was aiming directly at a window on the fourth floor. The room it aimed at was occupied by three people; two humans sitting at one end of a table – both in Imperial officer uniforms – and a Wookiee at the other. The sights were trained on the Imperials.

The sniper had the perfect shot; the guards wouldn't be able to react in time, as the sniper would be on the ground and moving immediately after the shot. They'd be confused and unable to locate the shooter.

The male Imperial officer scratched the back of his head. The sniper knew that was the signal. The sniper aimed directly at the female officer's head and pulled the trigger. The blast carried so much force that the officer's head was severed from her body in a millisecond. The male officer unholstered his sidearm and fired ten shots into the Wookiee, killing him.

Suddenly, multiple squads of Stormtroopers emerged from the treeline, firing as they ran. The guards were caught completely unaware. They fell to the ground, one after the other. In less than a minute, the battle had been won, and with no Imperial casualties.

The sniper quickly descended the tree and joined the Stormtroopers, who were now finishing their sweep of the building. The officer who had shot the Wookiee awaited the sniper at the entrance to the building.

"Great work," he said. "They never saw you coming."

"They never saw _us_ coming," the sniper replied.

The sniper took off her helmet. She was a very beautiful woman. She had been described as "striking" by some. Her brown hair was tied up in a bun so that it fit properly underneath her helmet.

A stormtrooper walked up to the two and saluted.

"What is-" The sniper interrupted the officer.

"What is it, trooper?" she said. She smiled at the officer, who made it clear he wasn't used to being interrupted.

"The captain just got word from Echo-1, ma'am. They're finishing up clearing the tunnels. He requests that you meet at the headquarters."

"Thank you," the sniper said. "You're dismissed."

The stormtrooper swiftly turned and made his way over to his squad.

"So…" the officer said, his voice trailing off. The sniper raised her brow, waiting for the officer to continue.

"We are done, yes?"

Echo-4 nodded her head in affirmation. "Of course," she said. She unexpectedly punched the officer in the face. He recoiled in pain, grasping his now-broken and bleeding nose. She reached for his chest and ripped the Imperial badges from his uniform, tearing his shirt and revealing his skin.

"You are a traitor to the Empire, and traitors will not be tolerated. Arrest this man."

Two stormtroopers swiftly complied, disarming him and pulling the officer's arms back to his side.

"How dare you!" the now-captive officer protested. "Release me at once, you brainless harlot! I am no traitor!"

Echo-4 motioned for the troopers to take him away. She watched them escort the man away, smiling while he shouted indecencies and curses back at her. She loved taking down traitors. She lived for it. People like the officer were her least favourite kind of people; they had no loyalty whatsoever.

Echo-4 waited until the troopers had cleared the area before making her way back to the garrison – the place the trooper referred to as 'headquarters'. She liked her stormtrooper compatriots – although she was a commando herself, she had a fondness for them uncommon in others of her rank, who generally viewed them as simply subordinates. She knew better.

* * *

><p>Compared to the relative calm above, deep underground a battle raged on between Imperials and a small band of insurgents. Blaster fire tore through the recently-blasted tunnels as the three Imperials systematically eliminated any resistance. One-by-one, the anti-Imperial insurgents fell until the tunnels were littered with blaster-charred bodies.<p>

The three Imperials advanced until they had cleared every inch of the tunnel and had come across an out-of-place room the insurgents had clearly been using as a meeting area and pseudo-command post, containing a few tables and hologram emitter in the center. They cleared it with little resistance, annihilating the few insurgents desperately defending the command post. For Imperial commandos, these insurgents were hardly anything but a nuisance. The room was cleared in a matter of seconds.

The three Imperials searched the room for traps or hidden computers, but found none. When they had finished, the three gathered in the center of the room.

"No sign of him," said one Imperial, identified as Echo-2. "Not even a trace."

"Our intel was good," said the leader, Echo-1. "He escaped before we got here."

"Well, shit," Echo-2 replied. "Figured that. Guess he got word of us."

"No shit." The retorting voice belonged to Echo-3, the squad's electronic specialist. "Boss," he said, "just got word from a trooper with Four. Objective's complete. Officer's in custody."

"Tell her to meet us back at headquarters," ordered Echo-1. Echo-3 nodded his head and retorted Echo-1's orders into his commlink. "Let's finish up here."

With that, the squad broke off and began setting explosive charges around the room. "Just a thought, sir," Echo-2 said, planting his charge as he spoke, "but is it possible that officer tipped him off?"

"He's too cowardly," Echo-1 replied, almost laughing at the idea. "He wouldn't. But, we'll 'ask' him to be sure."

"Never liked officers," Echo-2 said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Technically," Echo-3 began, "you _are_ an officer."

"Can it, Three."

"Shut it," Echo-1 coldly ordered. "Four's waiting on us. Finish the charges and let's go."

* * *

><p>The explosion caused by the charges could barely be noticed on the surface. There was practically no evidence of any kind of an explosion. It was contained enough to only cause the room the commandos were in to cave in and destroy everything inside, but not powerful enough to cause a disturbance above.<p>

Echo-4 was back at the garrison, cleaning her rifle in the barracks when she heard from Echo-1 that their objective was complete and they were on their way back. She was wearing her Imperial uniform, and her armour sat beside her on the bunk. She wasn't a very thin woman, but nor was she overweight. She was relatively thick, but shapely. She was slightly taller than the average human woman.

She had just finished cleaning her rifle when the door to the barracks opened and a stormtrooper walked in. He stood in front of her at attention.

"What is it?" she said, picking up the left shoulder of her armour and beginning to polish it.

"The prisoner," the trooper said. "He requests to speak to you."

Echo-4 stopped polishing and looked up quizzically at the trooper.

"And why exactly did you allow him to order you?" she sternly said.

"I thought-"

"You aren't paid to think." She set down the shoulder piece and stood up. She knew the trooper was nervous. "You're dismissed."

The soldier quickly turned and left the barracks. Echo-4 sighed and followed after him. It was nearly night time now. The sun had almost completed disappeared below the horizon beyond the walls of the Imperial garrison.

She swiftly made her way to the holding cells located beside the central building, which held the garrison command center. The officer was sitting on the cot in a small cell near the back of the room, still wearing his torn, blood-stained uniform. He didn't stand up or acknowledge Echo-4's presence. She began to tire of the silence and had lost her patience.

"What did you want?" she finally said. The officer raised his head and looked at her.

"I'm not a traitor." The words left his mouth in a slow and relaxed manner.

Echo-4 laughed at the very notion. The officer's head returned to its original position, stoically staring at the corner where the wall and the floor of his cell met.

"Really?" she said. "You really believe that you aren't a traitor?"

"Yes," he replied. "I didn't-"

"You betrayed the Empire to work with insurgents against our government and subsequently betrayed _them_ at the sound of credits and a promotion. You're a traitor, through and through."

"It's not that simple!" The officer was on his feet now and had practically screamed the words. He took a deep breath before continuing. "The insurgents… They approached me," he said. "They told me… They threatened my family and demanded that I help them."

Echo-4 wasn't certain whether the man was lying in order to gain her sympathy or was telling the truth.

"Either way," she said, "I can't release you. You could have gone to us instead, told us about the situation. We would have protected your family."

"You didn't know those men," he said. "That Wookie… You've heard stories about Wookies? He threatened to-"

The door to the barracks opened and three troopers dressed in the same armour as that worn by Echo-4 walked in.

"Sir," Echo-4 said, snapping to attention.

"Lieutenant," Echo-1 said as he walked up to the cell with the others. "Stand easy."

Echo-4 relaxed. An officer – who had followed the three into the cell area – walked past them and opened the door to the cell. Echo-1 stormed into the cell, grabbed the prisoner by the collar and slammed his back against the wall.

"I want information," Echo-1 demanded. "You're going to give it to me." The prisoner nodded his head in affirmation. "Good."

Echo-2 motioned for the officer who had opened the cell to leave. "We'll call you when you need you," he called after him.

Echo-1 stared into the prisoner's eyes from behind the reflective visor of his helmet. "The insurgents had a man with him – a Rodian. Where did they take him?"

"I don't know!" the prisoner said. "I didn't even know they-"

Echo-1 lifted his knee into the prisoner's stomach. "I have no patience for scum like you. You have one more chance to tell me. Where did they take him?"

"I don't know where!" the prisoner yelled. "But I know how!"

Echo-1 pushed his elbow up against his throat. "Talk."

"A freighter docked at Theed's spaceport last week," the prisoner said. "The captain – a Twi'lek, I think – was acquainted with the officer your sniper killed. She suspected that the Empire was onto the insurgency, and arranged to have the Rodian smuggled off-world on the freighter."

"What was it called?"

"_The Runner_, I believe. Yes, that was it."

Echo-1 released the man and walked out of the cell. He closed the cell himself. "Squad," he said, "barracks. Let's go."

"Roger that, sir," Echo-3 replied. "After you, Two."

"Ladies first, Three," Echo-2 replied, bowing and motioning for Echo-3 to go ahead of him. Echo-3 grabbed Echo-2 and pushed him along.

The squad made their way back to the barracks at-haste. When they got inside, Echo-1 removed his helmet and sat down on a bunk beside it. He didn't have a name, only his Imperial designation, though he used to be known as "Eighty" for his Republic designation: RC-1180. But, no one called him that anymore. He was a veteran of the Clone Wars, having fought for the Republic as a Clone commando. He participated in many battles of the war, including the First Battle of Geonosis, the Battle of Ryloth, and the Battle of Kashyyyk, amongst others. The squad knew little else about him, as he refused to speak about his past, other than to declare his bitter opinion that the Clones were a vastly superior force to what the Empire is now, and that if any of his original squad were alive, his squadmates now would be no match. "Except for Four, she's one of the best I've ever seen," he would usually amend.

Echo-2 was the next to walk in. He sat down on a bunk across the room from Echo-1. Echo-2 was a native of Correllia. His name was Fralen Yarin. He had a tall, slim build. His hair was a dark brown, and his face bore slight stubble. A man of 29 years, he had served with the Empire since enlisting at the age of 18. He trained as a Shock trooper, training in the use of non-standard equipment and explosives. His career was one marked with a few incidents of insubordination, but was otherwise completely spotless. He had seen a number of battles during his tours in the outer rim, the most impressive of which was a little-known insurgency on the mid-rim planet of Jader. Fralen's unit had been assigned to combat the would-be rebellion, but was unprepared for the combat prowess of the rebels. His entire squad was killed – all but him. Stranded and alone, he single-handedly waged an intense guerrilla war against the rebels until reinforcements arrived. He was swiftly commended for his actions and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Shortly after, Fralen was given the opportunity to become a Storm commando – an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

The next to enter was Echo-3, who removed his helmet as well and leaned against the wall near the door, looking in to the room. Echo-3's name was Torin Crow. Born on Coruscant 35 years prior, his family abandoned him at a young age. He learned to look out for himself on the streets. Unusually bright for his age, he made a name for himself as a hacker and a thief, eluding the authorities for years. At the age of 24, he was caught attempting to hack into the Imperial Palace's network. He led Imperial troopers on a chase throughout the city, eventually resulting in a standoff at a local cantina. Eventually, he surrendered to the Imperials, knowing he couldn't outrun them. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for attempting to steal classified information, but the higher-ups of the Empire realized the potential in him and offered him a choice: serve in the Imperial army as a tech specialist, or spend the rest of life in prison. He's worked for the Empire ever since.

The last to enter was Echo-4. She sat on the bunk where her armour lay and continued to polish it. The youngest member of the squad – at 26 years old – and also the newest, she was a highly skilled markswoman. Her file indicated she was born on Telos to a family of farmers. Jaina Vitaan lived a quiet existence for the first decade of her life. Living in a remote area of Telos, she learned to fire a blaster very early in her life, and honed her skill more out of necessity than fun. Her father taught her how to survive in the wilderness and how to hunt game, skills she treasured. Shortly after her 20th birthday, she enlisted with the Imperial army and trained in the Stormtrooper Corps as a Scout trooper. Her career has been an extraordinary one, especially for her young age. She was renowned as one of the best snipers in the entire Imperial military, and became the youngest Storm commando ever.

"What now, boss?" Fralen said. "Track it down?"

"That's the plan. I had no intention of allowing the Jedi to get away, Two." Echo-1 stood up and started toward the door. "Four," he said, "get your gear on. We're mov-"

The door opened and an officer stepped in. He clearly wasn't expecting the entire squad to be there, for when he saw them all staring at him he seemed to get rather nervous.

"Echo-1," he said, "Lord Vader wishes to speak with you. In the headquarters."

"Via hololink?" Echo-1 asked, not believing that Vader would come himself.

The officer answered in affirmation. The squad got up from their places and prepared to follow Echo-1, but the officer stopped them.

"Lord Vader requested to speak with Echo-1 alone," he added. The squad looked at one another. Echo-1 shrugged and followed the officer out the door and to the headquarters building. The squad uniformly returned to their positions.

"Wonder what that's about," Fralen thought aloud.

"Boss'll tell us if it's important," Torin said. "And if Vader's telling him personally – as opposed to through the commander – then it's damn important."

"Think it's about the terrorist?" Fralen asked, lying down on the bunk.

"Dunno. Could be about anything."

"Can't you hack into the frequency or something?"

"Two," Torin said, "I already hacked into Imperial frequencies once. Nearly got me life. I'd rather not risk it again."

"Only 'cause you fucked up…"

"I'd love to see you do it, Two."

"I'll stick to blowing stuff up." Fralen smirked at Torin, inviting his ire. He looked over at Jaina, who had finished putting her armour back on and sat on her bunk, fitting her left glove to her hand. "You were a Scout, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jaina replied. "Why?"

"It's hard to believe sometimes," Fralen said. "You're not a dick like they are. "

"As far as you know," she replied. "You've only known me a month. Just wait."

"You're from Telos, yeah?" Jaina nodded. "Never been. What's it like?"

"Boring," Jaina replied. "Very, very boring."

"Inquisitive today, aren't you?" Torin said.

"Just getting to know the new girl," Fralen said. "All I know about her is she's hot and can shoot better than you and me. And the boss. Now, that's a feat."

The door opened again and Echo-1 walked in. He grabbed his helmet and rifle and made for the door again. He stopped and turned around in the doorway. "We're being re-tasked," he said. "We're to head to the _Falchion_.Vader has an agent aboard who'll brief us. Imperial intelligence. Beta squad is taking over our investigation. I've already relayed information to Beta-1."

"Re-tasked to do what, sir?" Fralen asked.

Echo-1 did not answer. "Grab your gear and let's go."

Fralen looked at Jaina and sighed. She smirked in return and got up. "For the Empire," she said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II – Unexpected Arrival**

The voyage to the _Falchion_ from Naboo was not a long one. It had been waiting in a nearby star system for the rest of its small reconnaissance fleet to arrive, as it was ahead of schedule. The _Falchion_ itself was a recently-built _Imperial-I class _star destroyer, having had its maiden voyage but a year ago. Assigned to the 33rd Reconnaissance Fleet under the command of a Captain Jethis, the ship was a virgin ship, most of its crew unbaptized in the fires of combat. It was a lightly-armed vessel (for an _Imperial-I class _star destroyer), designed with speed in mind. It carried a small compliment of Imperial marines, who – like the crew – had never seen real battle. With these factors in mind, the crew was understandably surprised to find that the head of Imperial intelligence had sent an agent to their ship and ordered them to hold position and wait for a squad of troopers to arrive.

Captain Jethis didn't understand why these events were taking place. Why would an intelligence agent need to use the _Falchion_ as his base of operations? How did he even get aboard in the first place? No one had told him that an agent was aboard. And this squad of troopers, what is so important about them for Imperial intelligence to order the Captain to wait for them? The questions running about his head were many, and the answers were few.

One of his crewmen informed him that the vessel carrying the troopers had arrived. The Captain sighed and told the crewman that he would personally greet them. He dismissed the crewman and made his way to the hanger bay. The vessel carrying the troopers had just touched down. The Captain and a compliment of his first officers lined up, waiting for the door to lower and the troopers to exit. He had questions and he intended for these lowly troopers to answer them, post-haste.

When the vessel doors opened and the troopers walked onto the exit ramp, the Captain immediately understood the secrecy surrounding the troopers, for they weren't even Stormtroopers – they were Storm commandos. The Captain became nervous at the sight of these commandos, but he tried his best not to show it.

"Captain," Echo-1 said, walking up to the man. "I didn't expect a personal greeting."

"Welcome aboard," the Captain said. "It's a pleasure to have troopers of your calibre aboard this vessel."

"Please, Captain," Fralen said. "We are but humble servants of the Empire." Jaina smirked at the thought of Fralen being "humble". He wasn't an egotist, but he certainly wasn't humble.

"I understand that there's an intelligence agent aboard," Echo-1 said. "I have orders to meet with him."

"If only I knew who he was," the Captain said, "I'd be glad to lead you to him. But, I'm afraid-"

A man walked toward the group from behind the officers. He had entered shortly after the officers, but no one noticed him. He wore the uniform of an Imperial officer, the only marked difference being the badge of Imperial intelligence on his chest. He was a relatively short, slim man, with curly brown hair and green eyes. He appeared to be quite young, a bit younger than Jaina.

Echo-1 eyed the man for a moment. "Are you-?"

"Agent Estis," the man said. "You're Echo squad, then? Good. I've been waiting for you."

The Captain attempted to bud in. "How did you get abo-"

"So I've heard," Echo-1 said. "Shall we?"

The man motioned for the squad to follow him as he walked away. The Captain was fuming at his authority being completely subverted aboard his own vessel. "Just a minute!" he protested furiously. It was in vain. The others ignored him and left the hanger. He stood there awkwardly with his officers, who stared at him. He angrily ordered them to their stations.

The agent led Echo squad to his makeshift office – a large formerly-janitorial closet consisting of simply a desk with a terminal on it and a cot attached to the wall. Estis sat down behind the desk and booted up the terminal. "So," he said, addressing Echo-1, "I'm under orders from my higher-ups to provide you and your squad here information on your new assignment."

"Which is?" Echo-1 asked. Estis typed something into his terminal and turned the monitor around so that it faced the others. It displayed a picture that appeared to be a prison mugshot of a middle-aged human male. He had shoulder-length brown hair with spots of grey in it and a scraggly beard. His face had a few scars from battles he had been in before.

"This, ladies and gentlemen," began Estis, "is Olin Parek. He's a Jedi. This picture here is from a few weeks ago. We didn't know he was a Jedi at the time. He made no use of his powers and didn't have a lightsaber on him. He was captured for inciting a riot on Sarrk. Nasty business, that. But I digress. He escaped a few days ago during transport to Coruscant. He broke out of his cell and used an escape pod to, well, escape. He landed somewhere on Nar Shaddaa. Patrols located his escape pod, but it was empty. You, gentlemen and lady, are going to kill him."

"How exactly are we going to find this guy?" Torin asked. "It's Nar Shaddaa. If he wants to be lost, we'll have a hard time finding him."

"You're resourceful troopers," Estis replied. "You _are_ commandos, after all. I have faith that you will locate him."

"Just who is he?" Jaina asked. "Veteran of the Clone Wars?"

"Yeah," Echo-1 said to Jaina. "I remember him. Met him a few times. Fought alongside him at Geonosis. He's impressive. At least, he was."

"He was a general, yes," Estis said. "He fought in many battles of the war. Do not underestimate him. I'll have you know he escaped from a star destroyer with nothing but his wits and the Force."

"We've hunted Jedi before," Fralen added. "We know the drill."

"Which brings up the question," Jaina said, "why is this coming straight from Lord Vader?"

"Yes, I imagine that must be a bit odd. You are not the first to pursue this Jedi."

"What do you mean?" Torin asked. "You sent others?"

"Two squads, yes," Estis said. His face suddenly became solemn. "They did not return."

"You're telling me two squads of the best soldiers in the Empire were taken down by this old Jedi?" Jaina said skeptically. "Soldiers who have no doubt hunted their fair share of Jedi?"

"I don't know what fate has befallen them," Estis said, "but I have received no report from either squad since."

"So," Fralen said, "the logical conclusion is obviously to send a single squad to do what two couldn't."

"What he means," Echo-1 said, "is that surely we are not the only ones you're sending."

"Indeed you aren't." Estis turned his monitor back to him. "Lord Vader is sending another agent who is well-equipped to hunt this Jedi. You should find his particular skill-set more than adequate."

"Alright," Echo-1 said, "where is this agent?"

"I believe he is due to arrive shortly. You may await his arrival aboard this vessel. He shouldn't be long."

"The captain's alright with this?" Jaina said.

"The captain hardly has a choice," Estis said with a grin.

"ETA?" Echo-1 asked.

"Soon. I shall inform you when his vessel is on approach."

"Anything else, agent?"

The agent turned his attention back to his screen – a silent dismissal. Echo-1 turned toward his squad and motioned for them to follow him out of the office. They assembled in the hall just outside the office.

"Well," Fralen said, "what now?"

"We do as the man said," Echo-1 replied. "We wait. He said it wouldn't be a long wait. Occupy yourselves, but make sure I can contact you when he gets here."

"That an order, boss?" Fralen sarcastically said, a smirk on his face.

"How were you made a commando?" Jaina replied.

"I ask myself that every day."

* * *

><p>While Echo-1 went off to speak to the captain regarding requisitioning his squad ammunition and supplies, the rest of the squad went to the mess hall. It was filled with off-duty troopers and crew-members. While the troopers and crew-members mostly sat together at the same tables, officers and scouts seemed to cordon themselves off from the others. Officers sectioning themselves off from the troops were not an uncommon sight at any Imperial installation, garrison or vessel, and neither were scouts avoiding the rest. Scout troopers and regular soldiers rarely got along – mostly due to the scout's insistence on instigating conflict. Their pride and arrogance was legendary amongst the regular forces, and most considered all scouts to have these particularly obnoxious traits.<p>

Fralen spotted an open table near the troopers and pointed it out. The three made their way over and sat down. From here, Jaina could clearly overheard scouts behind her chatting away and the troopers in front of her doing the same. She heard one of the scouts lean over and felt a finger poke her back. She sighed and turned around.

"So, you're a commando?" the scout said, smiling. Unlike how most reacted, this man didn't seem the least bit nervous.

"Yeah," Jaina said. Bored already, she turned around. The scout continued on.

"You don't look like any commando I've seen," the scout said. "Too hot. Way too hot. Shit, didn't think they came in the attractive variety." Jaina simply stayed silent. "You know, I've worked with commandos before. Can't say when – classified and all that, you know?"

"I'm sure," Jaina replied. She hoped the man would pick up on her disinterest. Whether he didn't notice or did and chose to ignore it, he continued.

"The guy I worked with, he wasn't all that good. If you're anything like him, I bet I could take you."

Fralen burst out laughing. "You? Take _her_? Yeah-fucking-right. She's the best shot in the Imperial Military, far better than any of you other scout-fucks."

The scout looked back at his friends, who all had the same mischievous smile. He turned back to Jaina.

"Whaddya say you an' I settle this? We can head back to my bunk and settle it there."

Jaina laughed, hard. "Yeah, you're so not my type, buddy."

The scout clearly didn't appreciate the fact that she laughed at him and brushed him off. His ego was at risk. He shot out of his seat. Torin immediately got up and placed himself between Jaina and the scout. He was easily a head taller than the scout. Jaina just noticed that the entire mess hall had gone silent and had been watching in anticipation – even the officers were waiting for the next move.

"It's fine, Three," Jaina said, getting out of her seat. "He's just trying to rile us up. I was a scout – I know this shithead's type. Ignore him. Besides, he knows we're commandos for a reason."

Torin looked at Jaina. He nodded and sat back down. The scout smirked and sat down as well. The rest of the mess hall returned to its normal state.

"Guess word got around about us," Fralen said. "Was hoping we could just come here and not have anyone notice, but I guess that was too much to ask for."

"Yeah, a little," Jaina said. "How could word get around, though? Doesn't make sense."

"Dunno. Maybe the captain said something."

"Not our problem," Torin said. "We'll only be on this ship, what, a few hours at most? The agent said this guy's arrival wouldn't take long."

* * *

><p>"Captain," Echo-1 called as he spotted Captain Jethis down the hall. He was walking alongside two officers, likely on his way to the bridge. Captain Jethis quietly let out an annoyed sigh and turned to face the commando.<p>

"What is it?" he said. "I'm in a hurry."

"I'm sure you are, Captain," Echo-1 said. "My squad needs ammunition and supplies. I was hop-"

"Will it get you off my back?" the Captain shot back. "I have important things to do, soldier, and I can't waste time on special operatives and Intelligence agents."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Captain. But this is as inconvenient for my squad as it is for you. We were in the middle of an investigation with our target just out of grasp. Surely you understand the frustration at being reassigned during such circumstances."

The Captain calmed down. "The quartermaster will get you what you need. You have full access." He looked over at one of the officers he was walking with and silently signalled for him to give the quartermaster the news. "Is that all, commando?"

"Yes, Captain. Thank you." Echo-1 had just turned around to leave when the Captain heard a voice in his commlink.

"Commando," he said. Echo-1 turned around. "Wait a moment." Echo-1 politely waited as the Captain listened to his commlink. "The agent has informed me that an... arrival... you were waiting for is here. In the docking bay."

* * *

><p>Echo-1 called his squad over the commlink and met them in front of the hanger bay. They entered the hanger and immediately noticed the vessel. It stood out due to the fact that, unexpectedly, it was not an Imperial vessel. At least, it had no clear indications of it being so. It was a relatively small vessel, no larger than a freighter. The ship's hull was black, lined with red on the edges. It was armed with a turret just underneath the lip of the cockpit at the front of the vessel and a significantly more powerful one at the center of the top portion of the hull.<p>

The squad – as well as the Captain and agent Estis – assembled at the rear of the vessel. The exit ramp made a hydraulic sound as it slowly lowered. They watched as a figure descended the ramp. It wore a black robe with the hood casting a concealing shadow over its face. Silver-coloured armour could be seen underneath the robe, glinting with the light as the figure moved.

"Welcome to the _Falchion_," Captain Jethis said. "I would have prepared a formal greeting, but the agent-" The figure ignored the Captain entirely and walked past him to agent Estis. Once more, the Captain was furious.

"Estis," the figure said. Its voice sounded as if it were being projected through a vocabulator, and as such sounded slightly mechanical. "This is the squad?"

"Yes, my Lord," Estis replied. The entire hanger was inspired with a sense of fear and dread at the words, "My Lord." They knew what that meant. "This is Echo squad," Estis continued. "They are quite accomplished among their peers and have hunted Jedi before. You'll find that they are the best at what they do."

"I certainly hope so," the figure replied. "Come." It motioned for the commandos to follow it to the ship. "We will discuss the mission further aboard my vessel. We depart immediately."

Fralen looked at Jaina and shrugged. The squad followed Estis and the robed figure aboard the vessel. The ramp ascended behind them. They followed the robed figure through a corridor to the center of operations, at the very center of the vessel. It consisted of a holoprojector/holocommunicator in the middle and storage compartments along the walls. The figure stood at the end of the holoprojector closest to the hall leading to the bridge, and the others gathered around it.

Here, Jaina could see what was under the figure's hood. It was a metal mask. The visor of the mask was fashioned similar to that of the Mandalorians'. The mask itself was made of a silverish metal, oddly barely reflecting light. It filled Jaina with a sense of fear. She didn't like this... thing, however civilized it acted. She felt as if it emanated evil.

"You've briefed them, yes?" the figure asked.

"Of course, my Lord."

"Good." The figure linked its hands behind its back. "You will call me Lord Kratus. I will be working alongside you and agent Estis to hunt this rogue Jedi. As you're aware, several have been sent before us to locate and assassinate him. They have not returned. Our mission is not to rescue them. They are not our priority. We are to eliminate the Jedi using any means necessary." The figure looked around at the commandos. "Are there any questions?"

"None, my Lord," Echo-1 replied.

"Good. I had a feeling Estis was correct about you. The agent will show you to your quarters."

Estis motioned for the commandos to follow him. He led them to a room consisting simply of four cots and footlockers underneath each. It was rather Spartan in design, as was much of the vessel. It had only what it needed. "These are your quarters," Estis said. "My office is just down the hall, to the left. You will speak to me, not Lord Kratus. You will only speak to him if spoken to, and you will show him the utmost respect."

"Yeah," Fralen said, "so it's the same as it is with Lord Vader. We know the drill." He stepped past and claimed a bunk as his own, setting his equipment down on it. The others followed suit.

"We shall be leaving the _Falchion_ behind momentarily," Estis said. "I will set in the course for Nar Shaddaa." With that, Estis left the room and the door closed behind him. Jaina sat down on her bunk. Torin and Echo-1 had removed pieces of their armour and were cleaning them, while Fralen was laying on his back, staring at the roof.

"So," Fralen said. "A Sith Lord. And one that isn't Vader, no less."

"Yeah," Torin said. "We saw."

"Just sayin'. Creepy, ain't he?"

"He's a Sith," Jaina said. "They're supposed to be creepy."

"You alright back there?" Fralen said to Jaina. "You seemed a little freaked out by the guy."

"I'm fine," Jaina said, deflecting the question. "It's nothing, really. I've just... He's the first Sith Lord I've ever met. I thought Lord Vader was the only one."

"So did I," Torin added in. "Him and the Emperor. Guess there are a few more kicking around, eh?"

"Evidently," Fralen said. "Hey, I'm just gonna avoid pissing him off."

"You?" Jaina said. "Avoid pissing _anyone_ off? Good luck, Two."

"I love you too, Four. Ice cold."


End file.
